ABSTRACT
How teachers use questions during whole-class instruction has generated myriad discussions on the nature and role of this fundamental discursive tool for engaging learners in instructional interactions, checking comprehension, and building understandings of complex concepts (Cazden, 1988; Chaudron, 1988; Hatch, 1992; Long, 1981; Mehan, 1979; Tharp & Gallimore, 1988; Wells, 1996). Previous classroom-based studies have identified various question types, for example, closed- and open-ended questions (Barnes, 1969), display and referential questions (Long & Sato, 1983), forced-choice questions (Long, 1981), assisting and assessing questions (Tharp & Gallimore, 1988), and clarification requests (Chaudron, 1988; Gass, 1997; Pica, 1987). If, as Postman (1979) stated, “all our knowledge results from questions, … [and] question-asking is our most important intellectual tool” (p. 140), then continued research into this tool can potentially improve instruction.
